Hard Abs or Daily Abs

[ptwannabe]

I'm trying to keep some variety with my routine. And I am trying to decide whether to work out abs a little every day or alot 1-2 days a week. What are your guys' thoughts on ab workouts and how to go about doing them?

 

[Pound for Pound]

Would you work out legs or chest every day?

 

[Witchblade]

Vary it per program. It would depend on all the other variables. You could do either.

 

[PreMier]

i hit mine 3 days a week, and use 2 different routines

 

[ptwannabe]

Would you work out legs or chest every day?

no, but my abs recover way faster than either of those, and by everyday I dont' mean the same exercises, use some of that brain buddy.

 

[Acid]

I usually work mine everyday, varying the exercises.

 

[vortrit]

I do mine 2 x a week, but when I start a new routine 3 x a week. I go back and forth.

 

[Pound for Pound]

no, but my abs recover way faster than either of those, and by everyday I dont' mean the same exercises, use some of that brain buddy.

What exactly are you trying to achieve with your ab workout?

Doing "a little" abs every day doesn't sound like it'll stimulate too much growth and abs are just like any other muscle, they need time to recover too. Use some logic buddy.

but as far as my routine goes, I usually hit them hard (weighted) once per week.

 

[Acid]

my abs are actually pretty good I've tried hitting them hard like you and working them a little each day. I find i make better gains working them a little each day, i guess its just based on the person and what they are comfortable with.

 

[Acid]

and i understand they need time to rest but I'm not exhausting the muscle or pushing to failure with my abs.

 

[ptwannabe]

yea, I don't actually do mine every day I've just been considering it. Though I think I will try it, since I won't find out if it works unless I try it for a while. I'll probably just through in a little core everyday instead of just abs.

 

[Pound for Pound]

Try some weighted sit-ups/crunches on a roman chair, they're killer.

 

[ptwannabe]

What exactly are you trying to achieve with your ab workout?

Doing "a little" abs every day doesn't sound like it'll stimulate too much growth and abs are just like any other muscle, they need time to recover too. Use some logic buddy.

but as far as my routine goes, I usually hit them hard (weighted) once per week.

I'm really just trying to strengthen my core mainly to prevent injury like muscle tears.

I meant like obliques one day & middle the next. I'm just gonna through in core workouts every day though, like Plate Crunches one day, Russian Twists the next, hyperextensions following that day. And mix in other exercises to keep a variety like reverse crunches, DB side-bends, supermans. Basically just focusing 1 area of the core a day.

And yea, I'm kinda questioning if it will stimulate growth like you said. But I'll try it out and if it doesn't work I'll probably go back to twice a week, or try something else.

 

[Big G]

Doing "a little" abs every day doesn't sound like it'll stimulate too much growth....Use some logic buddy... I usually hit them hard (weighted) once per week.

Try some weighted sit-ups/crunches on a roman chair, they're killer.

ABSOLUTELY! Blast 'em! No sense pussying around like some bitch doing a little here, little there! Strap a fucking weight on your head like a hat if you have to, but make 'em burn, make 'em fail and make 'em hurt for a week! They WILL grow.

 

[ptwannabe]

ABSOLUTELY! Blast 'em! No sense pussying around like some bitch doing a little here, little there! Strap a fucking weight on your head like a hat if you have to, but make 'em burn, make 'em fail and make 'em hurt for a week! They WILL grow.

I have done a 45 minute ab workout every week for 10 months now and I haven't noticed results. And I almost cry in that workout especially when I finish with a endurance plank.

 

[PreMier]

your abs wont really 'grow' per se.. they are determined a lot by genetics. some people have deep abs some dont. you can get them stronger though

 

[KelJu]

What exactly are you trying to achieve with your ab workout?

Doing "a little" abs every day doesn't sound like it'll stimulate too much growth and abs are just like any other muscle, they need time to recover too. Use some logic buddy.

but as far as my routine goes, I usually hit them hard (weighted) once per week.

Abs recover faster than your legs and are composed of a different type of muscle fiber. You can workout your abs with high intensity every 3 to 4 days and see fantastic gains where you can't with your legs. I think that is what the guy was getting at. Forearms, calves, and abs seem to all recover faster and benefit from training twice a week at high intensity.


OP: I train my abs twice twice a week with variable rep ranges and exercises like the following.

Abdominal A:
Weighted Abdominal Crunch : (2m RI)
3 sets x 12 reps
Lever Seated Crunch: (2m RI)
3 sets x 12 reps

Abdominal B:
Seated Hip Raise Crunch: (3m RI)
3 sets x 12 reps
Cable Crunches: (3m RI)
3 sets x 12 reps



Then the next week, lower the rep range to 5 with 4 sets and a higher rest interval. Substitute other ab exercises for variation and keep changing the rep range and weight.


Waist Exercise Menu

Here are some ideas for exercises to throw in there.

 

[Big G]

your abs wont really 'grow' per se.. they are determined a lot by genetics. some people have deep abs some dont. you can get them stronger though

Really? That's wierd. I swear I've seen some development in mine over the past year.

 

[PreMier]

so you've lost some fat then, and you can see them better?

 

[AKIRA]

Abs recover faster than your legs and are composed of a different type of muscle fiber. You can workout your abs with high intensity every 3 to 4 days and see fantastic gains where you can't with your legs. I think that is what the guy was getting at. Forearms, calves, and abs seem to all recover faster and benefit from training twice a week at high intensity.




Waist Exercise Menu

Here are some ideas for exercises to throw in there.

Thats what I was thinking.

I train my abs (core) everyday I train. I do a little bit of work before every workout. To tell you guys the truth, I just use some ab exercises as a warm up for my body temperature. I do various forms of Prone Iso-Abs (planks) more than I do crunches.

However, today I felt like blasting my abs. I hardly ever add weight resistance, so its time. My increase in resistance usually has to do with appendage extension/abduction.

 

[Mystik]

ive had pretty much same amount of fat at beginning of the year as now but now isee my abs through the fat so they "did" grow.

 

[CowPimp]

I don't really do ab exercises. I think they are largely a waste of time. Some type of stabilization work can be beneficial, but it depends on the person.

 

[KeenanB13]

I do abs atleast everyother day. I do them usually till I'm exahusted, it's not a compleate waste of time either, it's better than doing nothing think of it that way. I know on the ab machine we have here at school just by doing some ab excercises with a partner like where you hold their ankles and they push your legs different directions until you can't do anymore, then I'll get on this thing like what you would do tri-cep dips on and i just raise my legs straight out like im sitting in mid air until i cant do anymore and then ill do a set of crunches until exhaustion, it takes about 10-15mins to do all 3 of them with a partner and everything and i went from being able to do 160 on the ab machine to 240 in about 9 weeks. So strength has really increased. And I already have a 6-pack really so its the matter to me of getting them stronger. I feel comfortable with doing what I'm doing and i dont see anything other than benefits from it. Just my logic to the situation, but just find what works for you and what you are aiming to do and go for it, goodluck man.

 

[ptwannabe]

I do abs atleast everyother day. I do them usually till I'm exahusted, it's not a compleate waste of time either, it's better than doing nothing think of it that way. I know on the ab machine we have here at school just by doing some ab excercises with a partner like where you hold their ankles and they push your legs different directions until you can't do anymore, then I'll get on this thing like what you would do tri-cep dips on and i just raise my legs straight out like im sitting in mid air until i cant do anymore and then ill do a set of crunches until exhaustion, it takes about 10-15mins to do all 3 of them with a partner and everything and i went from being able to do 160 on the ab machine to 240 in about 9 weeks. So strength has really increased. And I already have a 6-pack really so its the matter to me of getting them stronger. I feel comfortable with doing what I'm doing and i dont see anything other than benefits from it. Just my logic to the situation, but just find what works for you and what you are aiming to do and go for it, goodluck man.

I use to do them every other day like you. I would do some weight training then either run for distance after one day and then do abs the next and alternate like that. I was probably in the best shape of my life then, if I would of had my diet down right it would of been so much better.

I haven't had the energy to alternate running and abs like I use to because of football. Its hard enough fitting a 3-day weight training routine in with football. I only get to work abs 1 time a week, 2 if we had light practice that week.

 

[KeenanB13]

Yeah see, I can agree with you there as far as ab traning goes, I'm pretty religous when it comes down to it, I have about all the time in the world, I just have school really right now and I get time to lift for 1hr 30mins everyday in the morning with access to tons of free weights and machines, but I find that a lot of weighted ab exercises using your legs as the weight work real well, there are also these ones where you raise your back and your legs and try to touch your toes, those are good, burnouts are another good one. The good things about the abs is there are tons of ways to mix it up so you don't get bored, and your abs don't know what's coming and they don't get used to the same muscle movements, and they are all quick to do.
I myself right now am on a 3-day weight training program.

And now that I just started wrestling things should get a lot funner, and then comes baseball, my fav.

 

[Pound for Pound]

Wrestling is such a great sport, mentally and physically.

 

[KeenanB13]

Thanks a lot man I enjoy it and I'm looking foward to this season, I have to cut a little weight but I'll be in good shape, I have to go from where I was originally (175lbs, where I was a few weeks ago) I'm now at 168lbs and I'm wrestling 160lbs, and I have til' Dec 3rd til' my first match. =] I'm pumped, and a great way to put weight lifting to use!!